More Forms of Advance Medical Directives

Durable medical powers of attorney can be effective advance medical directives. Here’s why. Contact us for help with all of your estate planning needs.

With medical powers of attorney as advance medical directives, people can name an “Agent” who will have the authority to make health care decisions on their behalf when they are unable to do so. When medical powers of attorney are put in place, these can:

Empower agents to oversee people’s healthcare in a broader range of situations (in other words, not just when people are terminally ill and/or are in comas)

Provide agents with access to people’s medical records ahead of time so that agents can work with medical professionals to understand medical conditions and/or determine when people have become incapacitated

Be as powerful or limited as people prefer – This means that, while medical powers of attorney can be far-reaching, they can also limit agents to only making certain health care decisions.

4 – Disposition of Last Remains Declarations

In particular, this type of advance medical directive details how people want to be laid to rest after passing away. While these declarations can specify whether people prefer cremation, entombment or formal burials, they can also detail people’s wishes regarding funeral ceremonies.

With these declarations as advance medical directives:

They can be included in other estate planning documents, such as living wills.

They must be signed and dated by the people who develop them in order to be considered valid.

If they are not in place when people pass away, anyone who ponies up funeral/burial expenses for decedents will have the right to make decisions regarding how these people are put to rest.

Be sure to check out the upcoming conclusion to this blog series for some more essential info about advance medical directives.

Denver Estate Planning Attorney at JR Phillips & Associates, PC

Are you ready to develop advance medical directives? Or do you need help with any estate planning issues? If so, you can turn to a trusted estate planning lawyer at JR Phillips & Associates, PC.

We provide a thoughtful, comprehensive approach to our clients’ estate planning, elder law and other legal needs, and we take pride in helping each of our clients and their families find the best solutions for them. While this means that we provide personalized attention at every step of the process, it also means that our clients can rely on our Denver estate planning attorneys to always be competent, caring and professional while providing them with the highest quality legal services at affordable rates.

Contact Us

Let’s discuss your options during an initial consultation. To schedule this meeting, call us at (303) 741-2400 or email us using the contact form at the top of this page.

From our offices in Denver, we serve clients throughout the southwest and southeast Metro Area, including (but not limited to) people in Highlands Ranch, Littleton, Castle Rock, Parker, Aurora, Greenwood Village and Englewood.